News from Sacramento offers a much-welcomed boost for a crucial Santa Rosa housing development. This week, the Roseland Village project received a grant approval of over $25 million from the State of California that will help further the affordable housing and public transit expansion of the project.
For over a year, State Senator McGuire, the County of Sonoma, the City of Santa Rosa, SMART, and MidPen Housing have been collaborating to secure funds for the Sebastopol Road development that includes a mix of affordable and market-rate homes with retail and civic spaces at central location in the Roseland community.
Fifth District Supervisor Lynda Hopkins added: “This project provides long-overdue community investment and revitalization to the Roseland community. For years, we have been working tirelessly to move this project forward. Funding has always been a challenge. I am thrilled to partner with the State of California to get this project moving forward as quickly as possible to create beautiful housing and community space.”
At Roseland Village, the funding will go towards the construction of 75 affordable homes for lower income families, which is being led by MidPen Housing. Additionally, key bike and pedestrian pathways and crossings at Joe Rodota Trail will connect residents to downtown Santa Rosa and the SMART station. The result should be that more families will have access to major transit with opportunities for walking and biking. The funding also includes improvements for bike and pedestrian pathways related to SMART stations in Windsor and Rohnert Park along with funding for the SMART rail extension and station in Windsor, among other items.
As California and Sonoma County move to prioritize social equity and climate goals, this newly approved funding aligns with those goals by supporting the creation of desperately needed affordable housing with opportunities to reduce our dependence on vehicles, curbing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving air quality.